Zimbabwe’s ruling party extends Mnangagwa's presidency to 2030

Zimbabwe’s ruling party over the weekend resolved to extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s term of office and keep him as party leader through 2030.

Mnangagwa, 84, was scheduled to leave office in 2028 after serving two five-year limit, but constitutional amendments signed into law in July extended the tenure of the president and that of MPs by two years, effectively extending Mnangagwa’s tenure to 2030.

The amendments also abolished public voting in presidential elections, with lawmakers now responsible for choosing the president.

The resolution to extend Mnangagwa’ term was made at the 23rd Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) National People’s Conference in the city of Chinhoyi, northwest of the capital Harare, which concluded on Saturday.

Signed into law

“The Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front unanimously resolved to extend President Mnangagwa’s term beyond 2028 to 2030,” the presidency said on social media company X after the conference.

In July, Mnangagwa signed into law constitutional amendments that extended his term of office from 2028 to 2030 and increased presidential and parliamentary terms from five to seven years.

The amendments also abolished direct presidential elections, allowing the president to be elected by parliament.

Mnangagwa has ruled the southern African nation since 2017, when a coup removed longtime leader Robert Mugabe, under whom he had served as vice-president and a longtime political ally.